Orders
by Herz von Silber
Summary: Gilan is ordered to end the relationship he's been in for a few months now.
1. Chapter 1

**This randomly popped into my head, and I thought I would share it with you all. Enjoy!**

Gilan slammed the door of his cabin, tears in his eyes. _Life is so unfair, _he thought. He heard heavy footsteps on his porch, immediately followed by pounding at the door. "Gilan, please! Can't we just, just talk?"

He didn't open the door, he didn't want to face her.

"Please, please open up. I'm begging you!" He couldn't stand the pain in her voice. He wanted desperately to open the door, to hold her in his arms and shut out the world. To make all the pain go away. But he was the one causing it. "Why are you doing this, I don't understand. Can't you at least tell me _why?_"

Unable to bear it any longer, he threw it open, to face the worst sight of his life. Worse than any war, worse than the time he realized he had abandoned Will to death. Her eyes were red, her face tear streaked. He could see small cuts where branches had cut her when he ran. Her whole body was shaking from the confusion, the deceit, and the _pain_ of it all.

He had done it to her.

They stood there facing each other, neither saying a word. Seeing the look in her eyes, one of hurt, question, and a tiny bit of fear, he nearly broke down. He wished he could run away with her, away from life, from people, from the agonizing truth of what he had to do. But he couldn't. He had to do this, and it killed him to.

Swallowing his emotions as best he could, he looked into her eyes, and said, "You know why." His voice was stone cold, it took her aback. "I've lost interest. You're boring to me now." His words cut her like a whip.

But he couldn't pull it off completely. She sensed the weakness in his voice, telling her something wasn't quite right. Meeting his gaze, she said "I don't understand. First, you seem to ignore me totally. Then, you're all over me. Next you say we will never work, but you make me fall hopelessly for you. Why can't you just make up your mind?"

He wanted so badly to tell her the truth, but he couldn't. He really hated Crowley right now. Him and his stupid orders, _for whats best_. Will probably won't talk to him for a year, and Gilan wouldn't blame him if he never even looked at him again for doing this. But he had to. "Well, you don't have to worry anymore, because I have. Here's what I've decided. I don't need or want you." There was almost no turning back now. But he couldn't stop at almost. "To tell you the truth, I never really liked you." She nearly stopped breathing at that. "This whole thing has been a joke."

"Wh-what?"

"Of course, me and the boys have been laughing this whole time. To think I'd actually like someone like you."

That did it. That broke her heart into a million pieces and sent them flying in all different directions. She couldn't even speak. All she did has look at him one last time, and then run. He watched her run down the road, crying silently the whole time. When she disappeared around a bend, he sunk down to the ground, cradling his head in his arms. He just took the most beautiful, sweet, devoted woman in the world and turned he into someone who probably wouldn't get out of bed for a week.

He hated his job, it forced him to be alone. He hated Crowley, for ordering him to do so. But most of all, he hated himself. He hated himself for crushing the best thing that ever happened to him. For letting himself fall so deeply for someone, then making a joke out of everything they had loved. He was a monster.

"I'm sorry Jenny," he whispered out into the night. "I'm sorry."


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, this was originally a one shot, but I've decided to add some more chapters. You'll have to excuse any long periods between updates, I'm just gonna write as they come into my head. If anyone has any suggestions for the direction of the story, please voice your opinion. Since I probably not be writing anymore until the holidays are over, I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas! Hopefully life is going better for you all than poor Gilan and Jenny...**

Gilan heard soft footsteps of two horses behind him. Blaze nickered a greeting, and the other horses responded. The other riders, however, did not. Gilan sighed to himself. He knew it was Will, and that he was mad at him. Gilan didn't blame him, though. That didn't mean he liked it.

After ten minutes, he heard one rider canter ahead and come level with him. "Hello, Gilan."

"Hey, Halt." Silence.

"Nice weather out."

"It's alright." More silence.

Halt studied his old apprentice. It was very strange for him to doom and gloom like this. Usually Gilan was smiling and cracking jokes; now he just sat there, miserable. He shook his head. _All this over a girl,_he thought to himself. He thought it was ridiculous. Sure, Will and Jenny were close, but so was he and Gilan. One breakup shouldn't come between two best friends. But intervening wouldn't help matters. He knew it was best to let them work it out on their own. He sighed quietly to himself. It would be a very awkward gathering.

At the gathering grounds, Halt found their usual camping spot and started setting up. Will, he noticed, set up his as far away as possible from Gilan's. _Stupid boys,_ thought Halt, _always creating unnecessary drama._It was getting dark, so Halt set about making dinner. Gilan, however, took over dinner. "I'll do that for you, Halt." he offered. Halt looked at him, than handed him the carrot he was slicing. Gilan usually avoided cooking whenever he could, be Halt could tell he could use the distraction.

Just as the stew finished cooking, Crowley came by. "Hey, Halt. Will, Gilan." There was the general mumble of hellos. Halt definitely felt the tense atmosphere, but Crowley didn't. "Just got done chasing down an apprentices horse. Apparently, it's terrified of snakes, and one managed to slither into a saddle bag. It took ten of us to finally catch the poor thing and calm it down. Ah well, it's all better now. That smells delicious, by the way." Halt offered him a bowl, and Crowley accepted it gratefully.

About halfway through it, Crowley looked up and noticed Will wasn't eating. He nudged Halt with his elbow, nodding towards Will. _What's up with him?_his eyes said. He had only started to noticed the tension. That's what made him look up in the first place. Halt looked at him, then to Will. Noticing he wasn't eating, he inquired a little too casually, "Not eating, Will?" Will only shook his head, glared at Gilan, and went back to studying the fire. Halt sat there for a minute, _Don't interfere, it's best if you let them work it out._But on second thought, he was at his wit's end with this ridiclous behavior. "For god's sake, Will. Just because you're mad at Gilan doesn't mean you shouldn't eat because he cooked it." he snapped crankily, "Why can't you just get over it?"

Will replied snappishly, "Its not that. I'm not hungry." Halt huffed once, then went back to eating. Crowley sat there awkwardly. He didn't know what was wrong between the two younger men in the group, but it must have been bad.

* * *

Alyss finally finished reading the letter from one of the neighboring fiefs, complaining that Baron Arald was taxing a farm that was in his fief, even though it was most obviously part of Redmont. In fact, the only reason the other baron was upset about it was because the farm had recently started flourishing. That meant it could pay bigger taxes. She decided to leave it for tomorrow. Instead of going straight to bed, she went down to the inn for dinner. Jenny was still really upset about the breakup. Alyss knew she could use a comforting friend. Despite her close relationship with Jenny, she couldn't bring herself to hate Gilan. Sure, she was angry with him. But from the times she had met him, she knew there was a reason he broke it off the way he did. What that was, she didn't know. But she felt Gilan still loved Jenny. That wasn't the best thing to tell Jenny at the time. What Jenny needed was to forget the ranger; and focus on herself.

"You know, all this dooming and glooming isn't going to make you feel better." Alyss took a sip of cider. She was one of the last customers of the night, so Jenny had the time to sit and chat. "What you need to do is forget him."

"I know, I know. It's just not easy. I was so sure he was the one." Jenny fiddled with the hem if her apron. "I just don't see what went wrong."

"You know it wasn't anything you did. Gilan's a ranger."

"Yes, well that true. But you and Will have been pretty steady for a while now, and he's a ranger."

"Good point, but we grew up together. You and Gilan didn't."

Jenny nodded at that. She knew she would never win with Alyss. It did feel good to try. "He is human, though. He has human emotions."

"Rangers are strange. Anyway, there's no way me and Will could take things a step farther. Sure, Halt and Pauline did, but Halt will probably retire soon. You know you want a man you can settle down with. Gilan just isn't that man."

"I suppose you're right." Jenny said with a sigh. "It still doesn't mean I like getting over him."

"You mean you _like_ being miserable?"

Jenny smiled. "No, I don't like breaking up with him."

Alyss smiled back, glad Jenny was getting better. She knew Jenny would still be a little down, she at least was smiling.

Jenny switched topics, asking "So, how's work going for you?"

"Pretty good," Alyss replied, taking another sip of cider, "There's the usual complaints, but I haven't found a serious threat for the Baron in over a week now."

"Well, that's good." Jenny grinned. It was a joke between the two girls. There was always a few crazy people who would write letters to the Baron, threatening to do various forms of torture to him. Most could be ignored, but if it was anything more than the ramblings of an old lunatic, action would have to be taken. It may sound bad, but some of the threats were slightly amusing. One old man was ranting about the Baron's hygene, and said he was going to wash him with rose soap until he smelt like the Queen of Flowers. He was then going to file and polish his toe nails until they sparkled like stars on a foggy night.

"In fact, I got a complaint about an infestation."

Jenny frowned. Infestations usually meant an entire crop would die, and sometimes spread to others. "That's not good." She looked confused when Alyss kept smiling.

"Oh, yes, indeed. A whole bunch of purple gnomes were killing off all his grain."

At that, Jenny started laughing. "Oh, oh yes. Can't have, pur-purple gnomes!" She laughed. Alyss laughed with her. "You know, that reminds me of a joke Gil told me once about a-" Jenny stopped. Talking about Gilan still made her sad.

Alyss gave her friend a look of sympathy. Getting over him would take a while yet.

"Well, its getting late. We should probably get some rest." Jenny said.

Alyss nodded her agreement. They were both busy. "All right, I'll see you soon. Good night, Jenny."

"Night, Alyss."

**Well, tell me what you think. Again, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to all who reviewed, it makes me warm and fuzzy inside! Anyways, this will be the last chapter of the year (wow, that sounds bad), so hopefully it's good! Please review, and tell me your honest opinion, good or bad. Have a Happy New Year!**

"Thats what they're mad about?" Crowley exclaimed. Halt nodded. "Why? That's something so stupid to be mad about."

"I know. You'd think they'd be a little more mature." Halt said, annoyed. "It's one girl." After the akward dinner last night, Crowley had approached Halt, wondering why the two young men were at odds. Now, instead of worried about them, he was slightly annoyed.

"Well, I think I'll have to talk to them about it."

"Good luck." Halt had tried, to no avail.

Gilan was out at the targets, practising. Crowley approached him, saying "You're a little low." That wasn't true, though. His arrows were all dead center.

Gilan turned around, gave him a look, than said, "Not my fault, the target's crooked."

Crowley smiled, then said, "So what's with you and Will?"

Gilan was silent for a moment, then replyed in a low voice. "You know."

Crowley looked at him, saying "No, actually, I don't." He did know, he just wanted to get Gilan talking. "Care to explain?"

"Well, since I just _had_ to break up with, you know, Will's been mad at me."

"That's not my fault." Crowley remarked. Gilan glared at him.

"Well, I wouldn't have if a certain someone didn't order me to," Gilan replyed sarcastically, "so it is partly that certain someone's fault."

"Well, that certain someone didn't tell you _how _you had to break it off."

"I wouldn't have anyone mad at me if you didn't order me to!" Gilan snapped. "Will won't even look at me!"

"Gilan, I don't control how Will reacts, and I don't control how you break up with people. You can't blame me for everything!"

"I can try." Gilan said rebelliously.

"Look," Crowley said, "I'm sorry you had to break it off, but you were ditracted. your relationship with Janice-"

"Jenny." Gilan interjected."

"Jenny, then. Your relationship with her was distracting you from your job. I didn't want to, but I had to."

Gilan really wanted to hit him. Hard. Not a good career move, though. Hitting the Corps Commandant wouldn't be wise.

"Please try to cheer up, I hate seeing you like this." _I hate hurting the people I love._ Gilan thought.

* * *

Jenny was clearing dishes from a table when he appoached her. "Do you need any help with that?"

She looked up, about to say no, but saw handsome yound man beside her.

"Uh, sure."

"Great," he smiled at her, "My name's Steven, by the way."

Jenny smiled back. "Jenny." Instantly, she dropped the sour mood she had been in all day. it was nice to have friendly company.

After clearing away the dishes, they sat and talked for a little bit. Business was slow, and Jenny had nothing better to do. Once, Steven noticed the yellow bruise on her forehead; she was trying to hide it with her hair. "What happened to your head?" He asked, concerned.

"Oh, yeah, that. Well, I was running, and I-"

He heard her hesitation, and was suspicious. "You what?"

"I ran into a branch."

He look at her, slightly shocked. "Really?"

"Ya, I was running pretty fast." He looked suspicious still, as they had been talking about her relationship status. But he let it be and moved to another subject.

About ten minutes later, he stood up and said, "Well, I'd better get back to work," Steven said, "else the boss will be on my case. It was nice meeting you, Jenny."

"Nice meeting you, too." Jenny smiled at him. They gave each other a brief hug, then they both went back to work.

"Well, he was friendly." Jenny turned around to see Rafe looking at her expectantly.

"What?"

"That man you've been talking to," he said, gesturing to the door, "He sure was interested in you."

Then Jenny saw what he meant. "Oh, shut up," she said, blushing slightly. "he was just helping me clean up, that's all."

"Okay, if you say so." He replyed, walking away, his tone suggesting otherwise.

* * *

Crowley walked up to Will, who was coming back from a tracking excersise with some first year apprentices. Will, noticing him on his right, said, "Hello, Crowley."

"Hey, Will."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Will sensed there was something Crowley wanted to talk about. "Is there something you want to talk about, Crowley?"

"Yes, there is, actually. I've noticed there is a certain amount of tension between you and Gilan." He saw Will's jaw clench at that. "Want to talk about it?"

"Not much to say," Will replyed tersely.

"Really? It seems like a lot went on."

"Well, let's just put it this way, he got a little too mean breaking up with Jenny."

"You mean you're mad he broke up with her?"

"No," Will said angrily, "I'm mad that he hit her."

Crowley stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"When I went to talk to her about it, she had a bruise on her forehead. She says she ran into a branch."

Crowley continued walking, shocked. He didn't think Gilan was the type to hit women. "I can see why you're mad."

**Well, what do you think? Please review, and see you all next year!**


	4. Chapter 4

**First off, I'd like to thank all who reviewed, and for the wonderful ideas! This will officially be the longest story I've ever written! (not a big accomplishment.)**

**Now, on with chapter four.**

Gilan was the last to leave the Gathering Grounds. He swung up into the saddle, none too pleased with the last few days. Things between him and Will had not gotten any better; they were quite the opposite. He knew Will would be mad, but he didn't anticipate him ignoring him totally. Even Crowley looked at him differently. Unfortunately, Gilan could never find a spare moment to talk to him about it. He guessed it was about him, Jenny, and Will, but couldn't think of an exact reason. But that would have to wait. He had to be getting back to Norgate.

It was beautiful out that day. The late morning sun cast its light over the treetops, illuminating the forest with a soft golden light. Birds sung carelessly, different voices creating a melodious background. Gilan listened to the sound of Blaze's footsteps as he clopped their way home, thinking about the Gathering. He couldn't say he was sad to leave this time. He let his mind wander, pondering idly one one thought, then another, all the while scanning for enemies and listening for small signal sounds. When he was about to take the fork leading to Norgate, he heard a small rumble go through Blaze. Some sixth sense told him trouble lay in the other direction, and he steered the other way. There was no real reason for taking the detour, but his intuition had never been wrong before, so there was no sense in ignoring it now.

Not ten minutes down the road, he came around a bend to see Will surrounded by ten men, bloody and favoring his left leg. Gilan thought about charging in and ordering the men to the ground, but immediately discarded the thought. If the solution were that simple, Will wouldn't be in trouble. Before he could contemplate a plan, though, one of the men lunged at Will's neck with his sword. Without thinking, he threw his smaller knife and hit the man in the throat. Will saw the man drop to his knees, clutching his neck. Dropping down and to the side, Will glanced over in Gilan's direction and saw him running over to help. Temporarily forgetting his anger, he called out, "Gilan!"

Gilan charged over and cut down two men. The remaining three, however, had gotten over their initial shock of seeing their companion fall to the ground, and were now upon Gilan and Will. Gilan found that, despite his immense skill with the sword, he was equally matched, if not a little outmatched. After a few moments' struggle, he had defeated the four men upon him and turned to deal with the remaining three on Will. Drawing his saxe with his left hand, he used the pommel to knock out one and the blade to stab the other. The last man standing was still hacking at Will. It was a losing battle. Will could only just manage to evade the attacks an him, but was becoming more and more tired. As the attacker was about to go for the kill, Gilan yelled out, "Will, DUCK!" Without pausing, he swung with all his might, separating the man's head from his body.

Then, kneeling beside an exhausted Will, he went to check the full extent of his injuries, but Will looked into his eyes and said, "Stay awa-" His injuries had caught up to him, though, and he passed out. Tug walked over to his master, nudging him gently with his muzzle. Gilan shoo'd him away slightly, looking over his comrade. There was a serious gash in his left leg, a shallower cut on his chest, and numerous bruises and minor cuts all over. Quickly grabbing the first aid kit from Tug's saddle bag, since he was closer than Blaze, he cut open Will's pantleg and bound the cut. Then, removing his quiver, cloak, and shirt, bound the cut spreading from his left shoulder to his right hip. Deciding that all the major wounds were dealt with, he replaced Will's shirt, but folded up his cloak and placed it in his bag, then secured Will's quiver to Tug's saddle. After retrieving both his and Will's throwing knives, along with Will's bow, he placed Will in the front of his saddle, then climbed up himself. Calling for Tug to follow, he made his way to Redmont.

* * *

He arrived at the castle gate at about ten that night. At first, one of the guards, the younger of the two, barred his way, but the elder one whacked him over the head, berating him. Four stretcher bearers came out, and Gilan allowed them to bring Will up to the infirmirary. After caring for Tug and Blaze, he went up to the infirmirary to check on Will.

"It's lucky you got him here when you did," said the healer, "Another hour or so and he might not have made it. He lost a lot of blood." Turning back to Will, he continuted. "You did a nice job bandaging him up. I wouldn't expect a warrior to do it so well." The healer, Jim, was in his early forties. He was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders. His voice was deep and had a soothing cadence to it. He looked like a powerful warrior, but was really a gentle spirit. Unlike most, he wasn't intimidated by Rangers. He usually tended to critically injured warriors, and had to deal with interrogative Rangers on more than one occasion.

"You should get some rest. Your friend won't be waking any time tonight," he suggested, gesturing to an empty bed. "You're welcome to sleep here, if you'd like."

"Thanks," Gilan replied, "but there's a few things I have to tend to first. Thanks again." Jim nodded, focused on setting the splint on Will's fractured leg.

Halt was woken to the sound of pounding at his door. He gently creeped out of bed, careful not to disturb Pauline. Grumbling to himself, he slipped on a shirt and slipped out of the bedroom. Quickly walking to the door, he opened it, exclaiming grouchily, "Who in God's name is pounding at my door this late at ni- Gilan!" he added, shocked. The last person he expected at his door this late at night was one of his former apprentices, especially not tousled and slightly blood covered. "What are you doing here?" He opened the door wider, gesturing for Gilan to enter.

"Hello, Halt." Gilan responded, exausted. "I was riding back when I found Will-"

"Will?" he inturrupted urgently. "What's wrong with Will?"

Gilan gave him a look, and Halt waved him onward. a little impatiently. "I found Will surounded by ten men. I tried to help out, but I couldn't get them off of him before they hurt him."

"Will's hurt?" Halt said quietly. Gilan, who had known Halt for the better part of his life, registered the emotions in that voice.

"He's in the infirmirary now, getting healed up. The healer said he'll be fine."

"Well, I'll just go-"

"You'll just go where?" Pauline interjected, walking up to where the two men were sitting.

""My lady! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you-" Gilan began, but she waved his apologies aside.

"I'm a light sleeper. Now, where are you going?" she demanded.

"To check on Will. Why?" Halt answered, a little suspiciously.

"Well, I just got you back, and it sounded like you were going to go charging after Will's attackers." Halt gave her a hurt look, to which she raised one eyebrow. "I wouldn't put it past you, you know." Halt nodded, accepting the accusation.

"Well, I have to check on him. Gilan, will you please show me to him?" Halt said. Gilan nodded, but Pauline shook her head. Halt started to protest, but she held a hand for silence.

"Before that, I'd like to to sort out a few things first. One, where will you be sleeping tonight?" she asked Gilan. He opened his mouth to respond, but then shut it again. He hadn't really thought of that. "You can sleep in our guest room, then. Secondly, don't you think you should put on some actual pants?" She asked of Halt. He looked down realizing he was wearing his pajama pants. They weren't exactly appropriate for public.

"Good point." he said, walking off to change. A few moments later, he emerged from his bedroom, fully dressed.

* * *

"I will not allow two Rangers to go tramping through my infirmirary, waking everyone up and making a mess."

"And I will not leave this spot until you let me see Will." Halt repeated dangerously. Either the man he was arguing with was stupid, or he didn't care. Gilan had tried to lead Halt to Will's bed, they had discovered Jim, the healer Gilan had dealt with, had gone to bed and was replaced with David, the head of the infirmiray. He was considerably more abrasive than Jim, and was refusing them entry. He and Halt had been at it for ten minutes, and so far, neither man had relented.

Finally, Jim emerged from the wing, thoroughly annoyed. "What is going on out here?"

Seeing the larger man, David pointed to Halt and Gilan, saying, "These two ruffians want to come in here and see a friend that is supposedly in here. I've already told them we haven't had any admittances this evening, but they won't leave!"

Recognizing Gilan, he said, "Yes, actually, we have. I took care of a young Ranger about an hour ago, I left the report on your desk. I suggest you let them in, before he admits you, too," he added, pointing to Halt. David huffed, but let them in anyway.

Approaching Will slowly, Halt let out a small sigh of relief. Despite Gilan's reassurances, he had imagined the worst. Now, seeing Will sleeping peacefully, he felt a little better. Just a little.

"There, can you leave now?" David snapped tersely. Halt glared at him. He was really starting to hate the annoying man beside him.

He looked over Will again, assuring himself he was going to be alright, then turned around and said, "Let's go." to Gilan. They strode out, leaving a battered Will to heal over.

**Poor Will, we all seem to enjoy using him as a punching bag! Well, anyways, tell me what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ahh.. chapter five. Sorry it took so long, but I tried getting it beta'd. I decided I don't like waiting for it to be beta'd, so you'll just have to deal with the mistakes. Thanks to all who reviewed, I appreciate the ideas. I really enjoy hearing all your opinions. Also, this isn't totally planned out, I'm basically just making it up as I go, so if you have any ideas, please, feel free to share them. I won't take any offense at all! Now, enough of me, it's story time!**

"I keep telling you, I do not know."

Gilan sighed. He really was starting to hate this man. "Well, how about you give me an estimate, pay you that?"

"No, no, no. I might end up overpaid or underpaid. You'll just have to wait until he's released from my care." David repeated.

"If you're overpaid, keep the extra. If you're underpaid, you can get the rest from my companion, Halt, or contact the Baron for the rest." Gilan reminded him, yet again. He really wanted to stay until Will was completely healed, but he couldn't abandon his fief for an uncertain amount of time.

"Well, that just won't work. You'll have to wait." sneered David. Gilan nearly punched him. Sighing, he stalked out of the room, and decided to calm down before continuing the infuriating conversation.

He went outside and walked the perimeter of the walls. Deciding he was calm enough not to kill the cocky head of the infirmary, he walked back upstairs.

He opened the door, and ran right into Jenny. "Oh, I'm so sorry si-" Jenny started. When she realized who she ran into, she stopped and stared. Then, SMACK!

Gilan took a step back, shocked by the slap to his face, then muttered, "I probably deserved that."

"How dare you-, why are you-, get out of-," Jenny stuttered, too angry for complete sentences, then smacked Gilan again.

"Would you please stop hitting me!" Gilan exclaimed, grabbing hold of Jenny's arms.

She tried to twist free, but Gilan's iron grip held her there. "Let go!" she yelled. Realizing he was still holding her, Gilan released her. He stepped back out of range, but Jenny still clipped his shoulder, this time with a fist.

"Stop hitting me!" he repeated, this time a little angry.

"What are you doing here!" Jenny demanded.

"Well, if you mean in Redmont, I found Will being attacked last night. If you mean here in the infirmary, I've been trying to pay this pigheaded healer so I can leave!" he replied heatedly.

"Well, then, pay him and get out of here!"

"He won't give me a damn price!" Gilan shouted back.

"Well, I'll make him!" Jenny turned on David, who so far had been standing there, unsure of what to do. "How much does he have to pay!" she demanded.

"I've _already_ told him, I can't say until this young man is released from my care. And I don't know how long that will be!"

"What kind of idiot healer can't even give a price!" Jenny accused.

"You stupid girl!" David yelled. "I'll teach you to talk to a man like that!" He went for Jenny, but before he could even get close, Gilan had him by his collar. Gilan swung the man up against the wall, and held him there. "If you touch her, you're a dead man." Gilan said in a low voice. The tone in his voice was more threatening than any amount of shouting could even come close to. He released the man, and not soon after felt Jenny's fist on him back.

"Stop that!" She exclaimed.

Gilan spun around, grabbing her shoulders. "Will you please stop-" he started, "Jenny, what happened to your face?" he added, noticing hte bruise on her forehead. All the anger in his voice was replaced with concern.

"Well, you should know." said a new voice. It was Will. "You're the one who hit her!" Not surprisingly, all the yelling that went on by his bed had woken him up.

"What are you talking about?" Gilan asked, confused.

"Her forehead!" Will added, still angry with Gilan.

Shaking free of Gilan, Jenny said, "He didn't hit me, Will! What makes you think he did?"

"Well, if he didn't who did?" Will demanded.

"Oh, well, uh," Jenny started, a little embarrased. Will, however misinterpreted the hesitation in her voice, and thought she was covering for Gilan.

"See, he did hit you!" Will accused.

"He did not hit me! I ran into a branch!" Jenny confessed.

"You, you ran into a branch?" Gilan asked, confused. "When?"

"I ran into it- that night. I was running pretty fast, and didn't see it." she said, a more than a little embarrased. "Why does it matter to you?" she added to Gilan defensively.

Before Gilan could reply, Will interrupted. "Oh, I thought he hit you."

"Well, obiously I wouldn't hit her, Will! You should know that!" Gilan said, angry again. He couldn't believe Will would stop talking to him over something so stupid and unrealistic.

"Well, I- I don't know." Will said. Now that he actually listened to himself, he realized how stupid he sounded. He did know Gilan better than that, and wondered why he even thought that in the first place. Before he could say so, however, Gilan was speaking again.

"Whatever, that's not important. Since it's clear he won't ever give me a price," he said, pointing to David, "can you give the healer Jim a message for me, Will?" Not even pausing for Will to reply, he continued. "Tell him to simply mail me a bill; you have my address. Halt should be here within a half hour to check on you. Tell him that I left." With that, he left.

On his way out to the stables, he passed Steven. "Excuse me, sir, have you seen my girlfriend? She has blonde hair, blue eyes; her name's Jenny."

_So she already has a boyfriend. _Gilan thought, then replyed, "She's up in the infirmary." With that, he stormed off to Blaze. He gave a brief thanks to the stable boy and cantered off, back to Norgate.

He rode through the night, arriving back at his cabin early that morning. He found a small pile of mail inside the door; obviously the delivery boy had slipped it under it. He picked the mound of paper up, piling it on his desk. He'd deal with it all later. Right now, he needed to eat. A half an hour later, he was sitting at the table, eating breakfast and sipping coffee. He thought about the last week, letting his emotions run through him unrestrained. When he thought about the Gathering, he felt disappointment. When he thought about Will, he felt both anger sadness. When it came to Jenny, he couldn't name what he felt. He sighed, love was so complicated. Sometimes he wished it never even existed.

When it came to friends, you say you were angry, or happy, or dissapointed. When it came to family, you say you have the best ever, or wish you weren't related to them all. But love, love was like a big confusing monster, snaking its way through your very core. It made you do stupid, idiotic things. Made you feel like you were flying one moment; drowning the next. It took over your heart, and sometimes your head. When you finally reclaimed some of your sense and did what's right, to try to never hurt the one you love, it made you feel like, like this.

Sighing again, turning to the ever-present mound of paperwork. _At least one thing stayed the same,_ he thought to himself.

**Oh, the drama of it all! I've been waiting too long (like two weeks) to write this chapter, and I finally got to! At least Will isn't ignoring Gilan's existence anymore! Again, please review and tell me what you think!**

**Oh yeah, if you have the time, you really need to read **The Scariest Thing That Ever Happened To Halt, **It's an awesome story!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! So, I know I said I'd update sooner, but, guess what? Teachers have an obsession with pounding you with work in the two weeks leading up to semester finals, so i haven't had the time to type. It probably doesn't help that I've started another story, either. And I had some writer's block on this story. So, if you have any ideas, please, feel free to share. I'm always up for ideas! Anyways, enough of my life, on with the story!**

The sun rose up over the treetops, casting a golden light about everything. As the morning progressed, the sun's rays dispelled the last of the fog, leaving a crisp, refreshing morning. Gilan sat on his porch, watching this and reading through letters. None of them were urgent, just updates from Crowley. There was one from the Baron informing him of an upcoming ball that he was welcome to. It was couples only. He never went to these, so he didn't see any point in the Baron sending them to him.

Deciding it was time to eat, he went inside and prepared a simple breakfast of oatmeal with honey. He went over to the table to eat, and spotted another pile of papers. He really needed to organize these. While he ate, he looked through the stack, making sure nothing too important was in the mix. He spotted an old letter from Will. Frowning slightly, he remembered the Gathering and the events that ensued. It had been a while ago. How long had it been? Oh yeah.

Five weeks. It had been five boring, repetitive weeks since the Gathering. Gilan had yet to get a letter to or from Will. It was excruciating staying in this awkward half-way phase between a fight with him. Usually these kind of things lasted for two days max. But five weeks, _Seriously?_He decided he was going to have to do something. He sat down at his desk, and prepared a letter to Will. He didn't really know what to say, so he wrote a greeting, talked about some of the happenings at Norgate, and wished him well. Deciding it was good enough, he sealed it off. He would get a messenger at the castle. He had to go over there anyways to assess the Battleschool, anyway.

Sighing, he finished off his coffee and walked over to the door. Grabbing his cloak off the peg, he headed out, locking the door behind him. He saddled up Blaze and rode in. He was really starting to hate how boring life was.

Jenny was in a decidedly good mood today. She had the day off, due to some renovations at the Inn, and planned on making the best of it. Walking out of the Inn and into the street, she thought of where she should set off to. It was probably after ten in the morning, and she already had breakfast. She thought she could use a new apron. The one she had now was stained and torn in a few places. She set a course for the shop area of town for some new cloth.

Jenny was walking up a street somewhat away from the main drag when she spotted a small shop. It was nothing out of the ordinary, but something about it intrigued her. She strode in, not even sure if it sold cloth.

As it turned out, the shop, Marcy's Market, has full of all sorts of things. Along with a pretty blue roll of sturdy cloth, she found an interesting variety of thyme, an exotic perfume with hints of flowers and something spicy, and a steel knife. She paid for her findings, thanked the shop keep, and walked out. very pleased with the day. She glanced up at the sun, It was only noon. Shrugging, she set a course for the castle gates. She wanted some wild flowers to spruce up her room. She knew of a pretty little patch where she could get some. Maybe she would visit Will on the way. Who knew? It was a good day. She didn't have any obligations for once, and it felt nice.

Jenny knocked on the worn pine door. Will opened it, a delighted smile growing across his face. "Jenny! It's good to see you! What brings you here?"

Jenny grinned, saying "Oh, nothing really. I have the day off, and decided to visit."

"Well, come in! Come in!"

They carried on for hours, chatting about this and that. Jenny didn't even realize it was dark until about ten. She just so happened to glance out the window, noticing how dark it was. "Oh my gosh, it's dark outside! I should be going, now."

"Alright, Jenny. It was good seeing you again. Take care!"

"You, too, Will." She hugged him briefly before heading out.

Jenny walked past a dark alley when she saw a familiar person. "Steven! What are you doing out so late?"

The figure stiffened, then relaxed as he recognized her. "Hey, beautiful." he said, walking over to her. He staggered and swayed a little as he did so. "Wh-what'd're you doing out so late?"

"Oh, just coming home from Will's house. I had the day off, so I went and visited him. I lost track of time."

Steven frowned at that. He didn't like the sound of his girl hanging around another man. "So, you and _Will_are real cozy, aren't ya?" Jenny heard the slur of alcohol in his voice. If she had ever been around him when he drank before, she would have run. She didn't know, however, so she kept talking.

"Well, we're friends, but nothing more."

_We're friends, nuthin more,"_ he mimicked.

"There's no need to be so unpleasant."

Whack! "DON'T YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" he yelled out. Jenny took a step back, shocked. He _hit_ her.

"_Steven_, you _hit_ me!"

"Shut it!" he said, this time punching her in the stomach. Jenny was so shocked she didn't even know what to do. Steven, normally so sweet and understanding, was now hitting her.

Then her brain came over her shock. "I'm going home, Steven." she said firmly. She was not going to stay here and be hit by him. She would talk to him in the morning, when he was sober.

Steven had no such plans. "Get back here you!" he shouted, grabbing at her. His hand grasped her hair. He grabbed hold firmly and yanked back. Jenny shrieked and tried to get away, but his years in the smithy shop allowed none of it. He pinned her up against the wall. When he spoke, Jenny could smell the heavy liquor on his breath. "You're not going anywhere." He stared at her for a few seconds, then was suddenly kissing her. She struggled to get away from him, the last thing she wanted to do right now was kiss him, but he only held her tighter. Finally, she bit his lip.

He jerked back, grunting in pain. He half punched, half smacked her over the back of the head. He was so drunk he couldn't quite form a fist. The blow still hurt. "Think you're gonna bite me, _huh?"_ he hit her again. "Think you're so _tough?"_ and again. "I'll show you, you dumb _bitch!"_ the last blow that came with 'bitch' made her feel dizzy and her head spin.

He let her go, stepping back from the wall, and turned to pee on the other wall. Jenny fell back against the wall. A few minutes later, he turned back to her. "Come on," he said, pulling her up by her arm. "I'm walking you home." And so he did. He walked her back to the Inn as if nothing had ever happened.

When they got to the door of the Inn, however, he leaned in close to her, whispering, "If you saying anything, I'll beat your fucking brains out."

He opened the door for her, and she walked in. She walked through the dining room, up the two flights of stairs, and down the hallway in dead silence. She undressed and put on her nightgown. It was only when she climbed into bed that she made any noise. She quietly sobbed herself to sleep.

**O_O Steven isn't so nice, now is he? **

**I must apologize again for taking so long, put I have two days of finals tomorrow, so I haven't had a whole lot of time to write it. It's finally up, though. So I hope you enjoyed, and please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven, this is amazing! I'm sooo happy I can actually take a story this far! Ya, there isn't any Gilan in this chapter, so here's what he's up to: normal ranger stuff. There really isn't anything worth mentioning, so it's pretty much all Jenny. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Oh yeah, each new section in this chapter means it's a few days later, to avoid confusion. Now enjoy!**

_I won't tell, I won't see him again._ That was what ran through Jenny's head the next morning. She still couldn't believe he could have beat her like that. Sure, he was drunk, but that was no excuse for hitting her. It was inexcusable.

She got ready for the day repeating that thought in her head. She would not see him. She would not talk to him. She would not even acknowledge the fact that he exists anymore. But as she got ready for the day, she started having second thoughts. That was the first time he had ever been mean to her. Why did he do that? Maybe it was the alcohol. She knew spirits made some men mean. That could be the case with Steve. She could maybe- no, he hit her. That was inexcusable. No contact. She should go to Will and tell him what happened. Yes, that's what she'll do. She'll tell Will.

Jenny finished messing with her hair and set off across town. The men were still working on the Inn, so she had another day to herself. She came to a bridge and decided to stop for a minute and look out over the stream. There was something familiar about this place. Oh, that's right, it was the spot where she and Steve had first kissed. She still remembered that feeling. Again, she started to think about him. Besides last night, he was really good to her. He was always kind to her. Never did anything to hurt her. Well, last night. But last night he was drunk. Really drunk. She had been out late, and at another man's house. It was Will, so there was no chance of anything ever happening between them, but still, to another guy, that was probably hard to take. You know, come to think of it, she didn't really blame Steve for being mad at her. He shouldn't have struck her, but that was the alcohol getting the best of him, not _him._

She should go see him now. She turned around and headed for his house. She would talk to him about what happened. She would convince him not to drink anymore. After all, he did care about her. There was no doubting that.

Jenny walked up to the smithy shop where he worked and lived, and knocked on the door. "Yes?" answered a short, gruff man. It was Anthony, the foreman.

"Hello, Anthony. Is Steve in?"

"Yeah, he's just getting up. Come on in." He led her upstairs to the living quarters where Steve was. She found him in the kitchen huddled over a mug with what looked to be a very bad hangover.

He looked up to see who entered. When he saw Jenny, his face lit up with a smile. "Jenny! It's wonderful to see you!" He got up, grimaced, then sat back down. "How have you been?"

"Oh, alright, I guess."

"Just alright?"

Jenny sat down at the table. "Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Steven frowned. "Okay, what's that?"

"Do you remember last night?"

"Yes, well, part of it. Why?"

"Do you remember meeting me in the alley?"

Steven frowned. "No, when did that happen?"

"Late last night. Well, anyways, you, well... you really don't remember?"

His frown grew larger. "No, I can't remember anything past around nine. Why? Did I say something?"

"No, you, well, just... look." Jenny pulled up her dress to reveal a huge bruise. It was just starting to color in, but it was already purple.

"Oh my god! How did that happen?" he exclaimed.

"You."

"Me?" he said, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"You punched me," she said, pulling her dress back over her underskirts.

Steven looked shocked for a minute, then said, "Jenny, I'm so very sorry. I- I don't even know why I- my god, I'm just.."

"I don't think you did it on purpose." Jenny said. Secretly, she was relieved. He really wasn't a mean person after all. She forgave him.

"Thank you. I'm so incredibly sorry. It's just, I usually don't drink, but the boys convinced me to have just one. I knew I shouldn't have but I did. And, when I drink, I just can't seem to stop. I turn into a terrible person. I swear, I'll never drink again."

Jenny hugged him. She knew she could trust him.

* * *

Jenny walked out of the kitchen carrying a tray full of food. Normally she didn't serve people, but Steve and some of his friends were dining in the Inn tonight, so she thought she'd take the chance to see him. She arrived at the table to see him taking a swig of beer.

"What are you doing?" she asked. He had promised he wouldn't drink again.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You said you wouldn't drink again, remember?"

"Oh, come on, it's just one beer. I promise I'll only have one, okay? Just one with dinner."

She considered for a moment. "Alright, I guess that's fine." After all, it was just one.

-Later that night-

"Come here, baby, show the boys that pretty face of yours!" Steve yelled obnoxiously.

_So much for one._ Jenny thought to herself. She walked over to his table, none too pleased. "Steven, can I talk to you?"

There was a chorus of oohhs and a few mommy jokes from the group of men. Steve finished off his brandy, then got up and said, "Why sure, honey, anything you want!"

Jenny led him back into the kitchen. When they arrived there, she turned to face him. Her expression was one of slight anger and extreme annoyance. "So, what happened to only one beer with dinner?"

"Oh, you know, I wanted more." he said, an idiotic smile on his face.

"Well, I don't want to have more. Remember what happened last time? The bruise is still there."

His face turned from drunken euphoria to angry and dangerous. "I can do whatever I want." He swayed slightly.

This time, Jenny was a little more guarded, but she wasn't giving up. In a softer tone, she said, "I just don't want anything coming in between us, that's all."

"Like what?" he said.

"Like, distrust."

"Whaddya you mean, 'distrust?'"

"Well, how can I trust you if you act meanly when you drink? How do I know I can trust you?"

"You can trust me." he slurred. He was starting to get annoyed. Jenny was keeping him from his love, alcohol.

"But how do I know?" she said.

"Because I say so!" he said, a little more forcefully.

"Don't yell at me!" Jenny yelled..

"I'm NOT!" he yelled back.

Jenny almost said something back, but thought better of it. She didn't want a replay of the night in the alley. Instead, she turned around to leave.

"Hey, don't you walk away from me!" he said, grabbing her by the shoulder. He yanked her back, but lost his balance and tipped backward, falling against the counter. Jenny went sailing into the counter next to him, but hit it with the side of her head. "Not look what you did!" he said. He grabbed her by the arms, his strong hands digging into her. "Now, don't you ever walk away from me, ya hear? Well, do you?" he said, shaking her for emphasis.

She nodded. "Yes, yes, I hear." He shoved her away from him with a satisfied nod, sending her into a pile of dirty dishes. He staggered back out to the dining room to drink some more, leaving a dazed Jenny to her own devices.

* * *

Will walked into the Inn where Jenny worked. He hadn't heard out of her for a good three weeks, which wasn't like her. He decided to give her a surprise visit. He sat down at the bar and ordered the lunch special. A few minutes later, his lunch arrived, with Jenny.

"Hey Will! How are you?"

"I'm pretty good." he said, smiling. "You?"

"Oh, same old, same old. It's been pretty busy here." she said.

"How about you and Steven? You too seem to be pretty close now a days." Will asked.

At the mention of him, Jenny shuddered slightly. It was very small, most people wouldn't have noticed it, but Will did. "Oh, you know..."

"Is something wrong between you two?" Will questioned, concerned.

"No, no, we're fine. It's nothing, really." Jenny said. Her words were just a little rushed.

Will thought about nagging her to see what's wrong, but decided not to. If she didn't want to tell him right now, that's fine. She would eventually let it out. She always did. "Okay, if you say so. This stew is delicious, by the way."

"Thank you." Jenny said. Will didn't miss the double meaning of the word. For the rest of his lunch, they chatted about this and that, how things were going in the ranger world, him and Alyss.

"Well, I should get going now. It was good talking to you."

"You too, Will." Will leaned in to give her a hug when he noticed a partially healed bruise on the side of her neck.

"Jenny, what's that from?" he asked, pointing to it.

"What?" She asked, confused. Then she realized it was a bruise from Steven. An expression of guilt and fear flicked over her face for a brief second, but Will, trained to notice everything, saw it very clearly. "Oh, it's nothing, really. I just, fell." she said.

Will was already suspicious by her facial expression, but it was how she rushed her words slightly that told him something was seriously wrong. "Jenny, what's going on?" he asked.

"I don't know what you mean." Jenny said.

"Yes, you do."

"No, actually. The only thing I see 'going on' is you questioning me pointlessly." Jenny snapped.

Will studied her for a long moment. Then his face softened. "You know you can tell me anything, right? I won't be mad."

A strange look passed over her face for a moment, then she said harshly, "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Will."

"What is going on between you and Steven?" Will asked.

"Nothing Will, nothing is going on! What makes you think anything bad is happening? I wish you would stop being so interrogative and just but out!" Will was shocked. Jenny looked at him and said, "I think it would be best if you were to leave."

"Fine, I will. Just remember you can always talk to me." He turned around and walked out of the Inn. Why did Jenny act so strangely when it came to Steven? He would have to find out. Whatever the reason, it couldn't be good.

Jenny sighed. She felt a very wide range of emotions. She knew is was mean of her to drive Will away like that, but he would be furious if he found out that Steven was the cause of her bruises. Then Steven might leave her. Even though he had hurt her before, she still believed he was a good person deep down, and didn't want to lose him. If she stuck to it, she could get him to change. She knew he had a caring side, he just had a mean side, but she could get him to lose it. She could.

**O.O Jenny freaked on Will! What shall happen next? Sorry it took so long, but it was a hard and crucial chapter to write. I wanted to get it right so you can understand how Jenny feels and why she acts the way she does. Well, I promise I will get the next chapter up soon, and there will be some Gilan action in the next few chapters. Not the next one, but maybe in the next. Anyways, REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**The next chapter! We will be seeing some Gilan action now. So, I think a recap is in order. For the past few weeks, Gilan has been carrying on with life as normal as a ranger, doing his thing, but still is not over Jenny. He's not as depressed, though. Jenny, on the other hand has been with Steven. Steven is an abusive jerk, but Jenny doesn't quite see that. She thinks he's a good person with some drinking problems, and that if she sticks with him she can change him. Well, we'll see about that. **

_Ranger 23,_

_Your presence is requested in the fiefdom of Redmont. You are to leave immediately after recieving this letter._

_Halt_

_Senior Ranger, Counsel Member_

Gilan frowned. He had been relaxing after a rather bothersome day in the Baron's office when a messenger came running up to his cabin bearing a letter with the Ranger's seal on it. What was the vague letter about? Normally he got more information than that. It was highly unusual. But whatever it was, it was urgent.

He got up off the porch and started packing. Instead of leaving the next morning like he would normally do, he left within the hour.

On the way, the same questions kept circulating through his mind. What was so urgent? He hadn't heard of anything big happening lately. Why was the letter so vague? It was only two sentences. All it said was where and when to go. Not a hint of why. And it had been from Halt. Halt almost always gives an explanation.

_Oh well,_he thought to himself. He would be arriving in Redmont late the next night, so his questions would be answered then.

It was early morning when Gilan came up over the hill and into view of Redmont. Gilan sighed sleepily. He had rode all night the night before, paused briefly for a small snooze midday, than rode through the night again. He was exhausted. All together, over the last two days, he had slept about one hour. He could use a few good, solid hours of sleep.

Gilan approached the castle gates at a trot. He showed the guards the letter from Halt, and after a few minutes of explaining that he had absolutely no idea what the letter was about, was admitted. _Now, should I go to Halt or the Baron first?_He decided on Halt. After all, Baron Arald was probably not up to seeing people yet. He didn't want to be rude. Also, he wanted to sleep.

After settling Blaze into the stables, he went up to Halt's apartment. Before he had time to knock, Halt opened the door and nearly ran into him.

"Oh! Hello, Gilan." Halt said. "You certainly got here fast."

"I left as soon as I got your letter." he said, grinning tiredly. "I was wondering, what's so urgent here in Redmont? I was having a hard time deciphering it from all the details in the letter, so I was wondering if you could explain?"

A smile threatened to spread across Halt's face. "Sorry about that. Come in, and I'll explain."

Gilan frowned. "That's not good." Halt had just finished explaining the situation. The King hadn't heard anything out of Skandia in a while, so he sent a small party to check up on things. He waited for a response, but none were forthcoming. So he sent a larger party to see what the heck was going on. Only one man came back, and he was in critical condition. After explaining that his party had been attacked by Skandians just after coming through the mountain pass, he died. Overall, it seemed that they were no longer on friendly terms with Skandia, which was very worrisome indeed. Last they knew, relationships with Skandia were very good, due to Will's strong friendship with Erak, the Oberjarl. Suddenly, it seemed that relationship was gone, or Erak was overthrown and no longer in control of the country. But Erak had been a very popular choice for Oberjarl, so if he was booted from the throne, it meant things in Skandia were not good at all.

"No, it's not." Halt sighed. "It doesn't make any sense, though. Five months ago, we got our last report from Skandia. Things were good there. Nothing out of the ordinary. Two months ago, the next report never came. We send a party to see what's happening, and they never return. We send another, and one man comes back, saying they were attacked by Skandians. In a few months, things have reverted back to how they were before the treaty, if not worse."

"So Crowley is wanting to send you and Will up there so see what's going on?" Gilan asked.

"That would be the logical choice." Halt said. "We still don't have enough details to make a choice, but the King is calling a meeting here."

Gilan nodded. "I should report in to the Baron, then."

Halt shook his head. "Stay here and rest. I'll tell him you're here. You can check in formally after some sleep and a bath. You look half-mad."

Gilan got up and looked in the mirror. Now that he saw himself, he grinned. He could see why the guards were reluctant to let him in. His eyes were red from lack of sleep, and his clothes were slightly rumpled. His hair was messy, and several sections stuck out at odd angles. "You're right."

"You can stay here. We have a guest room you're more than welcome to." Halt told him.

"Thanks."

* * *

Jenny frowned. Looking in the mirror, she thought about how she would cover up the bruise that was blossoming just below her jaw. She grabbed some of the face powder she had and spread it on the purple-blue mark, but it didn't do much. She mixed some of the powder with some lotion, and tried that. It worked quite well. Somehow, she would have to find a way to stop Steven from drinking. She knew he was a good person deep down. He just had to stop him from drinking.

Jenny strolled into the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. There were always some people who came in early. It was barely light out, but Jenny was wide awake. A fifteen minutes later, Rafe came in the kitchen and called out, "Breakfast for two, mistress!" Jenny smiled to herself. Always a few early birds.

In another hour and a half, things were rolling. The dining room was so full of hungry customers the wait staff could barely keep up. She made sure things were relatively up to speed in the kitchen, than took out a tray of food to a table. It was a group of travelers. They were on their way to Norgate to see about settling there and starting a farm.

"Thank you, Miss." the leader of the group said. Biting into the soft bread, he said, "Give our compliments to the chef."

Smiling, she said, "I will. Thank you, sir." She didn't bother to mention that she was the chef. It was good to hear it. On her way back into the kitchen, Rafe stopped her. "Yes, Rafe?" she asked curiously. It must be something important. They were both very busy, so they didn't have time for idle chat.

"Can I speak to you privately, Miss?" he said seriously.

"Of course." Jenny lead him out into the hall. "What's the matter, Rafe?"

He sighed awkwardly, as if he didn't know how to say what he wanted to. Finally, he said, "The staff and I have been very concerned about you lately."

"What do you mean?" she asked. She already had an idea of what he meant.

"Well, you seem, different. And I've seen many a bruise on you." he replied.

"And?" Jenny said.

"And, well, we were wonderin' just how they got there, is all." Rafe looked at her. "You and that blacksmith have been seeing an awful lot of each other lately, and were wondering if maybe-"

"Nothing is wrong, Rafe." Jenny cut him off. "I don't believe it's any of your business, either."

Rafe looked shocked. True, it wasn't normally his place to discuss such matters with his boss, but he and Jenny had become friends of sorts. They were always open with their personal lives, so it was shocking to hear Jenny speak as she did. "Yes, mistress, of course. We were just worried, is all."

Jenny immediately felt bad for snapping at him. she knew he was genuinely concerned about her, and wanted the best for her. But if he knew what was going on with Steven, that would be the end of their relationship. And she loved Steven, and she wanted to help him get better. She planned on telling Rafe about what happened after Steven got better, but for now, it would be her secret. She sighed, then said "I'm sorry, Rafe. I've just been working hard lately, and haven't been sleeping all that well. All the bruises are from dropping things on myself or falling. I'm just a clutz, that's all."

Rafe looked at her suspiciously, then accepted what she said. She wasn't the most coordinated person, after all. Maybe what she said was true. Rafe would still be watching her closely, but was satisfied for the moment. "Alright, Miss, if you say so. We've just been worried, that's all."

"Thank you for understanding, Rafe." Jenny smiled. "I guess we'd better get back to work."

Rafe nodded. "Guess so."

Jenny went back to the kitchen. _That was close._ She thought to herself. She'd have to be more careful. She didn't want Rafe worrying about her, or discovering the truth.

* * *

Gilan felt a lot better. He had some sleep and a good meal, and no longer looked as if he belonged in an asylum. He had just finished checking in with the Baron and was intercepted by Halt. "Hello, Halt!" Gilan said cheerfully.

Halt grunted back.

"Well, there's a happy sound." Gilan said, grinning.

"What're you so cheerful about?" Halt said.

"It's a beautiful day out!" Gilan said. It was actually gray and overcast. The clouds threatened rain.

Halt glanced up at the sky. "You have an interesting taste in weather, then. Now, come on, we're going to go see Will."

Gilan hesitated at the door. Will was now living in Halt's old cabin. Gilan was still unsure. He didn't know if Will was still mad at him or not. He shook his head. There was no reason to be scared of Will. He was one of his best friends. He knocked on the door. Will opened it. "Oh, hello, Gilan. I didn't think you'd be here so soon. Where's Halt?" he asked. Mentally, Gilan let out a sigh of relief. So Will wasn't still angry with him.

"He's taking care of Abelard still. You know how he is with that horse." he replied, grinning. "He'll be done in a minute."

"Well, come in." Will said. When they were inside, he said, "Hey, Gilan, I'm sorry I was such a jerk."

"What do you mean?" Gilan asked.

"About, you know," Will began awkwardly.

"Oh." Gilan said, realising he was talking about Jenny. "It's no matter."

Will shook his head. "No, I shouldn't have assumed you'd hit her. It was wrong of me."

"It's the past." Gilan said. "Anyways, I think we have more important problems."

Will nodded. He was happy Gilan wasn't holding a grudge against him. "Like lunch?" he asked, grinning.

"Well, I was thinking about Skandia, but lunch is fine too." Gilan replied.

"Good to see you two in the same vicinity without considering murder." Halt said.

"Hello, Halt." Will said. "And I never thought about murder."

Halt looked at him, but let the matter go. "You mentioned lunch?"

**So, what did you think? I apologise for taking over a month to update. I know, it's a ridiculous amount of time, but you were warned in the beginning, remember? I think it was chapter two. I'm pretty much making this up as I go, so yeah. Anyways, I'm pretty much over my writer's block with this story, so you should see regular updates for a little while. Anyways, please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Eeeeek! I can't wait to write this chapter! I almost want to skip this note, but I won't! So, as we all know, Gilan is back in Redmont to discuss the issue with the Skandians (I'm getting the beginning idea of a sequel here!). Jenny is attempting to hide the fact that Steven is an abusive ass, pardon my french. I really don't like him. Gilan is still in love with Jenny, but trying to move on. He's also a little hurt that she has another boyfriend. So, we have an emotional Gilan in the same vicinity as an abused Jenny who won't admit the fact and ask for help. Oh yeah, we also have a defensive and worried Will to factor in. What will ensue? We shall find out. **

"So, is everybody here? Good, let's begin." Crowley said crisply. The meeting was held in a conference room. Present were King Duncan, Baron Arald, Halt, Will, Gilan, and of course, Crowley himself. "Here's the present situation. The last quarterly report from Skandia never arrived, so we assumed it was intercepted somehow. We sent a small party of ten men through the White Pass," he said, pointing on the map, "but never heard back from them. So, we tried a larger force of thirty men using Shallom Pass." He indicated on the map where it was. "One man returned in critical condition. He reported that the entire squad was wiped out by Skandians." he sighed. "My lord, it appears that we are no longer on friendly terms with Skandia."

King Duncan frowned, taking in this information. "Is it possible that there is a rebel group holding the passes? One separate from Oberjarl Erak?"

Halt shook his head, saying "I don't think so. The distance between the two passes seems too great for it to be one rebel group. It would have to be relatively large. And if it were one rebel group, I believe Erak would have dealt with them already."

The king nodded. After a minute, he asked, "So, what do you believe is happening?"

"We don't have enough information to make any reliable predictions," Halt began. There was a slight hesitation in his voice, and the king gestured for Halt to voice his opinion. Halt took in a deep breath. "My lord, I believe there is something big happening in Skandia. We know that, as of five months ago, relationships with Skandia were stable and doing well. The Skandians aren't one for sneaking and lying. They would have made it clear if they had any ill feeling towards the kingdom. If it were only one pass being held, it might be a separate rebel group. But even then, I don't think they would be tolerated for very long. We all know how well they take rebellions." Halt added in grim humor.

"You think they may be at war with each other?" Will asked. He was starting to see what Halt was thinking about.

"I'm saying it's a possibility." Halt replied.

"So, what is it to us?" Baron Arald said. Everyone's gaze swept over to him. Realizing what he said was misinterpreted, he added, "I mean, how does this affect us? I know you're friends," he said, looking at Will, "but I don't see how a civil war in Skandia affects us."

"For one, there is the force of archers stationed there." Duncan said. "For another, if Erak is- dethroned- it could mean war between us. If the throne is occupied by someone other than Erak, chances are it will be with someone who isn't so fond of us."

Baron Arald nodded. Then Halt was speaking again. "That is the reason why we need more information. My lord, I propose we send a party to Hallasholm to see just what's going on."

The king smiled slightly. "And I suspect you will be part of this group?"

This time, Crowley nodded. "I was wanting to send him, Will, and Horace, along with a small party of armed men."

The king nodded. "Then Gilan can assume Ranger duties here until you return."

"Exactly." Crowley said, satisfied.

The king thought for a moment, then came to a decision. "Alright. You have my permission. When will you leave?"

Halt replied, "In four days. The weather is supposed to get rather nasty for the next few days. And any weather here is more than likely to be five times as worse in the passes."

* * *

Will and Gilan strolled about the town. They had four days to prepare for the journey, so they took the afternoon off.

It was just after sunset when they were walking down the main street. Seeing a young couple all twitterpated, Will nodded in their direction, saying, "Young love." He grinned.

Gilan raised an eyebrow at him. "As if you and Alyss aren't like that."

Will grinned. "Of course not. A lady and a ranger? We're much more dignified."

"Oh, really?" Gilan said. "And I suppose falling off your horse at the sight of her counts as dignified."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Will said, a little too straight-faced. After a few seconds, he started laughing. Gilan was referring to a time earlier on in his relationship with Alyss. He had been riding in to see her, and saw her in a somewhat revealing dress. He was so struck by her that all he could do was stare. He had been going at a fairly fast pace on Tug, and failed to see a turn on the path ahead, and as a result, fell off Tug.

"How are you two?" Gilan asked once he stopped laughing so hard.

"Good." Will replied. His voice was casual, but he was grinning like an idiot.

Gilan gave him a look.

Will blushed slightly. "Shut up."

Gilan threw his hands in the air, saying with a grin, "I haven't said a thing." He looked over at Will, and noticed he wasn't smiling anymore. Instead, he was looking intently at something in the distance. "What?" Gilan asked.

Will pointed up at a window. "Look up there." Gilan looked to where Will was pointing.

The first thing Gilan noticed was that it was the inn Jenny worked at. The second was that the window he was pointing at was the one to Jenny's room. Gilan was about to say something when he saw a flicker of movement in the window. It was a man, he realized. He couldn't recognize him, but he recognized the body language. It was angry.

"I think it might be more than an argument." Will said softly.

"Why do you say that?" Gilan asked.

Still watching the window, Will said, "About two weeks after Jenny started seeing this Steven guy, she stopped visiting me. When I would come to see her, she'd often have bruises, and if I asked about them or Steven, she would get all defensive and snappy."

"You think he's hitting her?" Gilan asked. His voice had a hard edge to it.

"I'm almost sure of it."

Gilan was about to respond when he saw a rather violent movement come from the window. It looked like the man had suddenly lunged forward. Without a word, Gilan took off running to the Inn, with Will only a second behind him.

Gilan ran through the Inn, now with only a few customers left at the bar, and up the stairs. He tried to open Jenny's door, but it was locked. From inside, he could hear a raised voice. It was definitely masculine. He couldn't quite make out the words, but they were definitely angry. With Will behind him, Gilan kicked open the door and charged in. For ten full seconds, he froze, taking in the scene in front of him. Jenny was on the floor, holding one hand to her face and the other to her stomach. Her nose was bleeding and her eye was showing signs of bruising. Steven was towering over her, hand still in a fist.

Face white with anger, Gilan stood there. Jenny looked up, shocked to see Will and Gilan in the doorway. Steven looked shocked and annoyed, along with mad. Will looked murderous. They all sat there, silent. Then, with a roar of animal rage, Gilan attacked Steven. He didn't even bother to draw his knife. In seconds, he had him on the ground. Steven was strong, but so was Gilan. Rage fueled Gilan, and he showed no mercy. He pummeled Steven wherever he could. There was nothing methodical about it, just blind rage. In spite of herself, Jenny leapt on Gilan, trying to pull him off of Steven. "Stob it!" she cried. Her words were slightly obscured due to her swelling jaw. Will set a firm hand on Gilan's shoulder and pulled him back.

"Gil, calm down." Will's voice was full of fury. He to wanted to kill Steven here and now, but he just barely managed to control himself. Gilan, on the other hand, didn't.

Breathing heavily, Gilan tried to find to tell Will that he would most certainly not calm down, but he couldn't seem to find the words. Steven, seeing an opportunity, sprung up and grabbed Jenny. Producing a knife, he held it near her face, saying, "You'd better get out of here, or I'll cut her."

Gilan sprung to his feet. He got just enough control over himself to say three words. "Let. Her. Go."

Steven smiled wolfishly. "Leave and I will."

Will looked at him and said. "Let her go, now, or I will kill you."

"Why do you care? Are you screwing the little whore?" Steven said.

Before anybody could respond, Jenny croaked, "Just leave, Will. I can handle this."

"The hell you can!" Will said back.

"Listen to the bitch. Leave. This doesn't involve you."

Gilan glared at Steven. If looks could kill, Steven would have dropped dead in a second. "I disagree. You are abusing her. That's against the law. You broke the law. I enforce it."

Jenny looked up at Gilan, confused. Why the hell did he care so much? Before she could say anything, however, Steven was talking. "Bold words. For that, she'll pay." Again, he was smiling. "I don't want to ruin such a pretty face." He swiftly brought the knife down to her stomach. Gilan threw the smaller knife at him and got him in the neck, but not before Steven cut her.

Instantly, Steven released her and stumbled back. Gilan rushed forward to catch her, and slowly lowered her to the ground. Will dealt with Steven. He pulled Gilan's knife out of his neck and bound it with strips of cloth from Steven's shirt. The blade had gone in the side of his neck, just missing the major artery. It would need medical attention, but it wasn't to be fatal.

Meanwhile, Gilan was looking over Jenny. The cut to her midriff was bleeding pretty heavily. "Will, go get help." He said, his voice strained. Will nodded, finished the rough bonds holding Steven's arms together, and ran out of the room.

Jenny looked up at Gilan and started to speak. "Gilan, what-"

"Don't try to talk." Gilan said softly, cutting her off. Laying her upper body on his knees, he cut open her dress and threw a rough bandage on the cut there. The cut needed professional attention immediately, but for now, the bleeding was at least lessened.

After a minute, Will came in the door, with Rafe right behind him. Rafe recognized Gilan, and a look of hostility flashed across his face. Then he saw Jenny, and Steven tied up, and quickly rushed to Jenny's side. "How bad is it?" he asked.

"She needs a healer." Gilan said, shaking his head. "Fast."  
"I already sent for one." Rafe said. Then he took in all the bruises on her face, neck, arms, and stomach. There was the yellow of old ones, and newer, more recent ones, purple and blue. "Dear lord, how did that happen?"  
"Presumably, from him." Will said, pointing to Steven.

Rafe examined the man with distaste. "What're you going to do with him?" he asked.

Will stopped and considered. "What do you think, Gil?"

Gilan shook his head. "Personally, I'd like to kill him." he grimaced. "I suppose we should bring him in for trial."

Will nodded. Rafe, however, looked concerned. "What if 'e goes free? He's been sucking up to quite a few of the nobles."

"He attacked a King's Ranger and attempted to murder her. He's not going to get off the hook." Gilan he added, "Besides, I know a few people, too."

Just then, they heard a man come through the doorway. "What happened here?" Gilan recognized the deep voice. It was the healer Jim. He had taken care of Will right after the Gathering. Apparently, Jim remembered. He looked at Gilan and said, "People just can't seem to stay out of harm's way around you, can they?" He was joking, and Gilan knew it.

"He," Gilan said, nodding toward Steven, "Cut her with a knife. It's pretty deep."

Jim nodded. Already, the rough bandage Gilan had put on on it was soaked through. "She needs to get back up to the castle." He moved to pick her up, but Gilan was already lifting her.

"I'll carry her." Gilan said.

"Go ahead." Jim replied. With infinite care, Gilan carried her out to Jim's horse and handed her up to Jim.

Gilan watched them ride off to the castle's infimary. Covered in blood, he stared off into the night, longer after they were out of sight. Again, that confusing storm of emotions overwhelmed him again. Anger, fear, worry, regret, sorrow, desperation. So many emotions, all of them overwhelmingly strong. Why was love so damn complicated?

**So, was it good, bad, stupid? Tell me, tell me, tell me! I decided at the last moment to spare Steven's life, for now. I want to know what you want his fate to be. Until next time! (Which will most likely be very soon!)**


	10. Chapter 10

**So, in our last chapter, Gilan saw Steven kicking the crap out of Jenny, and he didn't take it too well. Oh yeah, there's something brewing in Skandia, but we'll throw that on the back burner for now. That can wait. Now we shall decide Steven's fate.**

"Bring forth the prisoner." Baron Arald said, his voice carrying all the way to the back of the room. From the double doors at the end of the hall, four guards emerged, dragging the bandaged and groaning prisoner behind them.

When the party came to a stop in front of the Baron, his secretary, Martin, announced, "This is Steven Weston. He is accused with attacking a king's ranger, criminal threatening, and attempted murder."

The Baron nodded. "What does the prisoner have to say in his defense?"

Steven took a deep breath, than said, "My lord, this is a huge misunderstanding. I never attacked anyone!"

"Can you prove this?" The Baron said. He didn't believe the man before him was innocent at all. But he was prepared to at least listen to him.

"This is what happened." Steven began. "Five nights ago, I went over to the Inn where my girlfriend, Jenny, worked. She was not in the kitchen, so I went up to her room. I tried knocking, but all I heard was the a man's voice yelling and her crying. So I opened the door to find the tall ranger hitting her. I tried to make him stop, but he pulled out a knife and cut her." The anxiety mounted in his voice. "Then, he attacked me! After that, the second, shorter ranger tied me up and got the guard. They accused me of it, but I'm innocent!"

The Baron looked shocked. That didn't sound right at all. "Is there any witnesses present?" The Baron asked.

"There is, my lord." Martin said. "Will Rafe Gallman come forward?"

Rafe got up and approached the Baron. He stood in front the Baron nervously.

"What do you know of this case?" The Baron asked.

Rafe cleared his throat, then said, "You honor, I've been seein' Steven hanging around Mistress Jenny for a while now. She just seemed different ever since then. She was more quiet, and often had bruises. Steven always seemed bad-tempered, 'specially when he'd drink. 'Bout five nights ago, sir, he came over, wantin' to talk to her. So they went up to her room. About an hour later, the two rangers came a runnin' in and up the stairs, without a word. It was mighty busy that night, so I didn't have the time to follow. Fifteen minutes later, Ranger Will came down, sayin' the Mistress was hurt, and needed a healer. So I sent someone up to the castle to go fetch one, and went up to see her. When I got up there, Steven was all tied up, and the Ranger Gilan was bandaging a cut on Mistress Jenny's midriff. It was bleeding something fierce. I could tell it was bad. I asked what happened to her, and they said it was him that did it." He gestured towards Steven. "Well, I believed 'em, because they're rangers and whatnot." he finished abruptly.

The Baron nodded. "Is young Jennifer here?" he asked.

Then Jim stood up. "No, my lord. She isn't." The Baron waved him forward. The muscular healer approached with confidence, while Rafe quietly went back to his seat. "Unfortunately, she is still unfit to move. When I first saw her, she was basically how Rafe described her. She was nearly unconsious. I treated her immediate wounds. However, when I examined her closer, it became apparent that she has been enduring substanial abuse for some time."

"What do you mean?" Arald asked.

"She had older, healing bruises, along with more recent ones. I believe she has been abused for about two and a half months now, my lord." Jim said.

"I haven't ever hurt her!" Steven called out. One of the guards hit him on the back of his head.

The Baron considered for a moment. Then he came to a decision. "I find him guilty."

Martin then announced in a carrying voice, "The prisoner, Steven Weston, has been found guilty on all charges. The Baron will now decide his punishment."

The Baron frowned. What would be a good punishment? He certainly wouldn't imprison him. He didn't want him getting out. Death, however, seemed a little extreme. Banishment, however, that could work. Baron Arald stood and said, "I hereby banish him from the fiefdom of Redmont. He is never to return or try to make any contact with anyone or anything in this fiefdom on the pain of death. His banishment shall be for life."

"That is the Baron's sentence. The prisoner will be escorted to the fiefs boundaries." Martin announced.

The Baron nodded to himself. Halt, Will, and Gilan would be pleased to hear it.

* * *

"Well, they were a nasty lot." Gilan said. Blaze whinnied in response. Gilan had just finished chasing down a band of outlaws. They had been travelling around, stealing food and other goods, harassing people and generally making a nuisance out of themselves. Gilan was tipped off by a trader that they were going to be making their way down to Redmont. So Gilan got a group of soldiers together and chased them down. They weren't very difficult to deal with. It was mainly the smell that bothered him. "I do believe I need a bath."

After scrubbing the smell of bad fruit and sweat from himself, Gilan decided to go check up on the castle. Steven's trial was supposed to have taken place earlier today. It should be over by now.

Gilan walked up the stairs leading to the Baron's office and nearly walked into Lady Pauline. "Oh, excuse me, my lady." GIlan exclaimed.

Lady Pauline waved aside his apologies. "What brings you here?" she asked.

"Oh, I just thought I'd check in with a certain case." Gilan said.

"The one involving young Jenny, perhaps?" she inquired.

"Perhaps." Gilan said breezily. "I just am wondering how it turned out, is all.:

Lady Pauline nodded. "It was a fairly short trial."

"You were there?" Gilan asked, no longer pretending to not be interested.

Pauline nodded. "Baron Arald decided to have him banished."

Gilan nodded. "Sounds like he got off easily."

Pauline shook her head. "Not really. I don't think he'll find it too easy to get started again."

Gilan shrugged. "I guess so. I suppose I should be going, then." He bowed and walked away. Now that he thought about it, death did seem a little harsh. But only a little.


End file.
